Saint Leo University Athletics has announced its 2024 Hall of Fame inductees and plans to celebrate their athletic accomplishments at a ceremony that kicks off the university’s Alumni Weekend at the end of the month.
The Hall of Fame inductees for 2024 are Arielle Kabangu, Colett Rampf and Terlynn “Chanita” Olds, according to a Saint Leo University news release.
The event also includes honoring some inductees from the Class of 2020 in person — who were not previously able to be part of a celebration because of COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. Those inductees are Hannah Beard, Marcus Ruh, Matt Obermeyer and Jaclyn Mailoto, according to the release.
The Hall of Fame induction ceremony is set for the evening of Feb. 29, at the Saint Leo University Wellness Center, on the university’s campus at 33701 County Road 52, in St. Leo.
The Hall of Fame was organized by the Saint Leo Alumni Association and Athletic Department in 1986-1987, to honor former students, coaches and administrators who excelled in Saint Leo athletics in the prep school, junior college or senior college.
According to the Hall of Fame’s mission statement, its purpose is “to perpetuate the memory of those persons who have brought distinction, honor and excellence to Saint Leo athletics, and familiarize the entire campus community and alumni with the university’s rich athletic history.”
Marcal Lazenby, director of Athletics, Recreation & Wellness, expressed the university’s pride in honoring these recipients.
“This is an extraordinary group of individuals who we are proud to officially induct into the Saint Leo Hall of Fame,” Lazenby said, in the release. “We have inductees who are at the top in the record books, and others who helped propel their teams to NCAA postseason play. These two classes not only excelled during competition, but in the classroom too, as evidenced by the diversity of the recognition they received during their careers for the Green and Gold.”
Lazenby said the university also is pleased to be able to celebrate the achievements of Beard, Mailoto, Obermeyer and Ruh, during the in-person ceremony, since the university was unable to do that in 2020.
Here’s a closer look at the athletes being honored:
2024 Hall of Fame inductees:
Arielle Kabangu, Class of 2017, women’s soccer
Arielle Kabangu’s Hall of Fame-worthy career with the Saint Leo women’s soccer team stands as a testament to her unparalleled skill and dedication to the sport. She finished her playing career at Saint Leo as the all-time leader in goals (65), points (151), shots (305), and multiple-goal games (18). She set single-season records for multiple-goal games (seven in 2013) and shots (85 in 2016), showcasing her consistent excellence.
By the end of her career, she was in the top six of all seven offensive categories.
She earned All-American honors three times (2013, 2014, 2016) and secured two Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Player of the Year titles (2013, 2016). She also was the SSC Freshman of the Year in 2013. In addition to her exceptional achievements, she later returned to the Saint Leo bench as an assistant coach in 2021.
Colett Rampf Class of 2018, women’s cross-country/track
Colett Rampf’s Hall of Fame career as a former Saint Leo women’s cross-country and track student-athlete demonstrates a remarkable journey of athletic excellence and academic achievement. A six-time All-American, Rampf’s brilliance shone across both cross-country and track, earning her the prestigious honor three times in each discipline. Her dedication to both athletic and academic pursuits resulted in her twice achieving the distinction of Academic All-American. She was the only athlete in Sunshine State Conference (SSC) history who achieved SSC Runner of the Year for four consecutive years. During her senior year, she clinched victory in every race leading up to the National Championship, where she finished eighth. Rampf’s South Region championship win in 2016, coupled with a 14th-place finish at the NCAA Championships, showcased her national prowess. She also achieved a notable third-place finish at the Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 2018 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and qualified for the Outdoor Championship in the 5,000-meter.
Terlynn ‘Chanita’ Olds Class of 1998, women’s basketball
Terlynn “Chanita” Olds was a standout forward on the women’s basketball team and later came back to Saint Leo where she was the head coach from 2005 to 2011. She represented the Green and Gold with integrity and honor on and off the court and represented the core values that Saint Leo expects out of its very best. As a player, Olds stepped up in times of adversity, including when the team was struggling to fill a roster. Many nights she carried the load, playing the entire game as a post player. She displayed a high degree of desire and competitiveness. Olds served as a team captain for Saint Leo. During her playing career, she led the team to its first winning record in program history. She averaged 35 minutes per game, 14.7 points per game, 7.6 rebounds per game and shot 55% from the field. She ranked fourth in the SSC in scoring and was named All-SSC first team as well as earning conference player of the week honors. After she graduated, she broke the gender barrier by becoming an assistant coach for the Saint Leo men’s basketball team for the 1998-1999 season. Following stops at Spring Hill College, Florida A&M University, Flagler College and Palm Beach State College, Olds returned to Saint Leo in 2005. She took over a Saint Leo women’s basketball program that had won three total games in its previous three seasons and laid the foundation for the program you see today that is competing for conference titles and berths in the NCAA tournament.
She currently is vice president for athletics and recreation at LaGrange College.
Hall of Fame Class of 2020
Hannah Beard
Hannah Beard, in the class of 2009, is one of Saint Leo’s most decorated women’s soccer student-athletes. She was a four-time All-Sunshine State Conference selection and set numerous program records. She still holds two career marks, one single season record and three single-game highs. She is the all-time leader in assists (31) and games played (76) while holding the single-season record for assists with 12 in 2008. Beard was a two-time NSCAA Scholar All-American, three-time NSCAA All-Region honoree and was named an NSCAA All-American as a junior.
She was honored as the SSC Offensive Player of the Year as a junior and was named to a pair of SSC All-Tournament teams. As a junior she helped lead Saint Leo to its first SSC Tournament Championship in program history. She ended her time at Saint Leo with 76 career games played, 46 goals, 31 assists and 123 total points. Following her time with the Lions, Beard went on to play professionally in both the United States and Australia.
Her 3,222 career assists currently is the second-highest in the Saint Leo career record book.
Jaclyn Mailoto.
Jaclyn Mailoto, of the class of 2014, enters the Saint Leo Athletics Hall of Fame following a four-year career in volleyball. She was known for her leadership, running the team’s offense as a setter. She earned First Team All-Sunshine State honors in 2013 following an All-Freshman Team selection in 2010. As a senior, she was named to the AVCA All-South Region First Team as well as Honorable Mention All-America. She led the competitive SSC in both assists (1,366) and assists per set (11.78); the 11.78 assists per set still holds the single-season mark at Saint Leo. Her 3,222 career assists currently rank second in the Saint Leo career record book while her 8.57 assists per set come in at fourth. Mailoto went on to coach club volleyball for 850 Elite Volleyball Academy in Valparaiso.
Matt Obermeyer
Matt Obermeyer, of the class of 2014, played four years for Saint Leo’s men’s lacrosse team. He was a dynamic goal scorer and currently holds four records in the top 10 including, 135 career goals (first), 2.5 goals per game (third), 158 career points (fourth), and 2.93 points per game (seventh). As a freshman, he made an instant impact charting 33 goals and five assists on the season. Those numbers eventually led to him being named the Deep South Freshman of the Year. The next three years the accolades continued to roll in. He earned First Team All-Conference honors from 2012-2014, was named Capital One CoSIDA Academic All-District in 2012 and 2013, achieved USILA Scholar All-American honors in 2014, and topping the charts would be the Deep South Player of the Year award in 2013. Obermeyer graduated from Saint Leo in 2014 with a major in marketing, and is currently the Director of Operations at SpotX, a global video advertising platform.
Marcus Ruh
Marcus Ruh, of the class of 2013, played basketball at Saint Leo for two seasons, and with that time he scored 859 points, an impressive 14.8 points per game. He excelled in the classroom, too, receiving the NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2013. He also was the CoSIDA Capital One Men’s Basketball Academic All-American of the Year. He earned First Team All-Region honors for his work on the court and was the South Region Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He earned Third Team All-American honors from the D2Bulletin and was the 2012-13 SSC Player of the Year. He also earned the SSC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor while earning the Saint Leo Male Athlete and Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors. During his junior campaign he was named a First Team All-SSC selection and to the 2011-12 All-SSC Newcomer Team. Following his time at Saint Leo he pursued a professional career in Australia spending one season with the Ringwood Hawks. Ruh also spent time as a coach with the Green Bay Storm on the AAU circuit before moving into his current role as a sales representative for Cintas.
Join the celebration: Festivities on Feb. 29 will begin with a reception at 6:30 p.m., for the inductees, their families and guests. That will be followed by a dinner beginning at 7 p.m. Registration is required, at Your.SaintLeo.edu/events/alumni-weekend/registration.
Published February 21, 2024
